Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture

Growing up Catholic in a Catholic school with Catholic friends, I never thought there was anything particularly different or special about our faith.  It wasn't until I moved to the "Bible Belt" [in fact, headquarters of the Assemblies of God and therefore home to many, many Evangelical Protestant Christians] that I had people--even strangers--ask me about my Catholic faith.  It was then, prompted by the probing questions and curious inquiries of my friends, co-workers, or random strangers who happened to notice the smudge on my forehead on Ash Wednesday or a rosary in my car, that I truly was able to realize that there is a culture to Catholicism [or as many of us would like to believe in today's ultra-secular and self-indulgent society, counter-culture].  It is one rich with tradition and vibrant from its vast array of members.  It is a way of life more than a place to go to church each week.  It is a draw on one's soul if one wanders too far, too long.  It is a belief that God is present in all human life, which demands we love our neighbors, even those that seem the least love-able.  

I am blessed to be a part of the Catholic Culture.  I am honored to be sharing it with my children.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/photo-challenge-culture/

First Communion

So the day of my daughter's First Communion was rainy and maybe 50 degrees.  The Mass was beautiful & lovely, but the weather was not exactly a photographer's [or a mom's!] idea of pretty pictures to commemorate the day.  So the next day, when Spring came back and the Sun came out, I begged and pleaded and finally ordered my daughter back in the garb so that I could get a few photos.  "It will only take 10 minutes," I promised.  I helped her into the delicate dress, the new shoes, the flower wreath.

 Cut to the back yard, 15 minutes later.  Some sort of freak mass egg-hatching had taken place and we were swarmed by tiny bugs the minute we set foot outside.  As if that's not enough of a challenge, proof of our too-busy lives was everywhere as I tried to find a place to photograph her that didn't have toys strewn in the background, or piles of leaves [yes, from last fall] laying about; or the terribly harsh afternoon sun in her face, or her brothers distracting her with their antics through the windows.  Finally, hot and frustrated, we came back inside and she plopped down on the floor begging to be let out of the itchy dress.  And I literally gasped at the perfect light streaming through the windows behind her, grabbed my camera as she was reaching to take off her shoes, and got this.  

My squeal of delight must have distracted her because she then hung with me long enough to get a few more.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Up

This was a lovely spring day.  Blue sky, warm sun, blustery wind...  Enough wind, in fact, that my kids swore that they were lifted UP off ground a couple of inches when the kite got tugged by a good gust.  So we spent a good hour heaving this giant kite into the sky, then running like mad into the wind [while I ran like mad to get under the kite flyer to snap some photos], then listening to the baby squeal with delight at the colorful show in the sky, then ducking & covering when the giant kite crashed down...  Then jumping up, untangling, and doing it all over again.  In the words of Dr. Seuss, it was "a good day for UP."

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/weekly-photo-challenge-up-2/

Double Take

We had the sun glaring at us, gnats swarming us, overgrown brush snagging us, mud trashing our shoes...  but man it was worth it!  The tail end of this shoot brought the perfect light, a great find of an old deserted building, and an easy-going mood that made for super relaxed, effortless photos. 

And so I only spent an hour or two with this family, but you know how they say you can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mom?  Well, let's just say these two are on the way to being a couple of fine men.  Nice job, Mrs. D.

Commercial Street

Down on Commercial Street for a photo session recently, I had the absolute treat of catching these "Penny-Farthing" bicyclists cruising the street together....And the unfortunate experience of a train rolling through while I was up on the bridge [a little freaky!]  Both were a good reminder of how much my soul has missed my camera these past few busy, busy months.  I gotta get keep getting out there.

A Lesson in Working With What You've Got

It is more than a little irksome to take beautiful [in the opinion of my clients, anyway] photos of other people's children and not be able to pull the same thing off of my own three kids.  You couldn't imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth that goes on when I suggest they hang tight for a minute while I try to snap a photo... or, God forbid, ask them to comb their hair a little bit and look in my general direction.  

I generally don't share my reject photos, but below is an example of the type of images I got of my children in a recent attempt at a photograph:  First, baby is poking big brother's eye while big sister looks away and practices crossing her eyes.  

Second, big sister is grooming baby while big brother glazes over in sheer boredom.  

Third, big brother is bitter, the other two are humoring me, just barely.  [Meanwhile, the grandparents are clamoring for photos of these turkeys!] 

Cut to a day of playing at our new house in the "country".  The big kids had dressed alike by chance in overalls, and stripped off their shirts in the heat.  They looked pretty stinking cute and so I had snapped a picture or two...  Then decided what the heck; I threw on baby's overalls to complete the look.  As luck has it, baby's overalls are about 3 sizes too big and were ridiculous looking from the front.   

Still, those grandparents are waiting for their pictures of the kids....  So why not?  Give baby a bowl of Cheerios to entertain him and ask big kids to be sweet to baby. 

Finally, key maneuver:  move behind them!  A mere two minutes later, I had captured a sweet, real moment between siblings with no eye rolls [at least that I had to see!], no visible dirt or PB&J on their faces, and best of all: no fussing, crying, begging, or pathetic bribing involved.  And even though it's a little cheesy, I really love the photo!  [...I hope the grandparents are happy!]

Weekly Photo Challenge: Change

There is so much change going on in my life right now, I had a hard time choosing the subject matter for this post.  But the over-riding, and most-exciting, change my family is experiencing is the change of views that we will soon be enjoying at our new home.  In the country.  With cattle farms on three sides of us.  After staring at the brick of our neighbors' homes for many years this is a very, very welcome change.  

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/weekly-photo-challenge-change/